But there were many inaccuracies about the school: we never had to get outfits approved for dates, you are allowed to sit next to each other, and we didnt have to wear skirts all the time. Its handling of the case may not have been malicious, but it was certainly pusillanimous. It wasnt until the beginning of her junior year that she heard the word rape applied to her ordeal. in Theological Studies degrees online. Oh my gosh. It was very much like a museum, like an exhibit. Very interesting. The town and the college have a very interesting relationship. This is bad reasoning and I dont see it as incumbent on the school to drop its strict standards on sexual morality, in order appease people who think it might help with the problem. Thats just scratching the surface. And flexed/hid behind his AUTHORITY at the slightest hint of challenge. Lol there was the one time I said I was suicidal youll go to hell he replied I dont care I responded your psychotic he said. #1 . von | Jun 17, 2022 | tornadoes of 1965 | | Jun 17, 2022 | tornadoes of 1965 | Read More. Ive never read porn, eeek! Simcha, Im honestly curious what your objective is in publishing something like this? The other allegations against him were also by hearsay, and they put those allegations in writing and asked him to defend himself. Sexual harassment and assault is inimical to such an environment. Im sad to hear about his victim, especially since I had a similar experience with a non-Catholic pastor. For example, the articke states that Prof. Marshner no longer works at the school, as if he left due to this scenario. It should do better. I remember thinking, Is that what I think it is? And so on. Yes they would hang out in more open areas because they could be openly affectionate. There was one guy who was self-insulated to the point where he was delusionally hostile toward everything "worldly". want more proof of sexual assualts? To find out more about Student Achievement at Christendom, click here. This is an event that took place off campus, with literally one witness. At first she didnt want to allow that word, and grew defensive, blaming herself for the assault. I dont like it, but I do get why they cant sling accusations around. Smith and her family were floored. Woody Allen has an even more credible allegation against him, but still gets to make movies. My objective is to make Christendom more accountable for the safety of its students. After the sanctions were imposed, Smith and the young man still had classes together, including core classes that were required for all students. Never, under any circumstances, admit that it was a complicated process that involved implementing a parallel judicial system. Um, no. If the intent here is to correct inaccuracies rather than, as it appears to be, an attempt to discredit Simcha as a journalist then it would be appropriate to say what exactly was misleading or inaccurate in the original post(s). Judge William W. Sharp accepted the agreement and Luckeys guilty pleas. We have a new sexual harassment and assault policy published in the Student Handbook with instructions on how to report sexual harassment and assault and how to receive resources for recovery (page 29 of the student handbook). And no, I'm not giving you any donations. Clearly the college doesnt think it is patently false. How clear is our no, really? Now that everyone has cellphones, it would be cool if the school set up a service where you could text for a pickup if youre in trouble for instance if youre at a party where youre being pressured to drink, or alone in a car with a pushy guy. These are Catholic seminarians. That often results in rapists going free and never even getting charged for lack of evidence. Are you seriously suggesting universities ban men from campus who are accused of rape with no proof and without an accuser who is even willing to go to the police or a local hospital for a rape kit exam, etc. I was working maintenance as a student between the times of these incidents. Not quoted or described? The school, itself, is actually quite safe, so safe that even when rape happens among its own students, it has to happen off the school grounds. Their response was a poor excuse for an apology. 240: Challah round the world. I am astounded that the article says rapist rather than alleged rapist. A school cannot beyond a shadow of a doubt prevent rape, but you can reduce the risk of it, and one of the key arguments in this piece is that excessively strict PDA rules result in private, remote areas being the normal location for healthy romantic affection. Anti-Semitism Higher Education Politics Harvard dean. Supposedly that sentence should stop this from happening again. O.o. As I informed you at the meeting, I do not find these interactions with Adele to be acceptable, appropriate, or in keeping with our Code of Student Conduct. Forgettable as most commencement addresses are, I remember yours clearly, Scott Smith wrote to ODonnell. It would do a lot to restore peoples faith in the institution. Rapists should be tarred and feathered (or worse). . 1) Paint a picture of the college not doing crap to help victims. Just the two of us. The girls would get baked goods and candy, and the guys would come into the dorm and take a tour. If the regulations force people to leave campus to kiss, then they are actually encouraging the kinds of situations that make assault more likely to occur even while they discourage it in other ways. I think people in leadership positions, especially those who are tasked with ensuring the safety of communities, have to man up and make difficult decisions sometimes, even at the risk of being regarded as unfair. i was so unhappy my freshman year, couldnt understand why and decided i needed to study abroad in austria to fix myself. Simultaneously persecuted superior and Self hating in that bizarre catholic mix Brilliant line. I must charitably assume (another term I learned there) this must have been chaste, but it still looked extremely odd. Like that has never happened before on a less stringent campus. She took refuge in one of the buildings until he left as he obviously meant her harm. Its bad because just by the quotes of things hes said, Im pretty sure hes exactly the kind of guy who would force himself on a woman. Men should feel degraded by this way of thought. The faculty hold degrees from schools such as Columbia University, Yale University, Catholic University of America, University of Notre Dame, University of Virginia, the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, and The John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family (Rome, Washington DC, and Melbourne sessions). Right. I am not only respected by my peers but also my teachers. I remember clearly two instances where a professor I respected and a male friend who I valued told me to my face that women were inferior in ability and authority to men and ought to accept that. He didnt have a license, so, at his suggestion, they borrowed a friends car and she drove them up to a scenic point overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. I understand the argument that Christendom had their hands tied due to the lack of criminal prosecution. Undergraduate students combine a liberal arts core-curriculum with eventual upper-level courses in their major field (or fields) of study. . RAs are now trained in responding to and reporting sexual harassment or assault. Because if there were no chastity policy, people wouldnt be pushed into secret places andcould be openly unchaste. Rather, it is a guide the way, the truth, and the life.[26], By refusing to accept most forms of federal funding, Christendom College is exempt from many federal guidelines concerning sex-based and other forms of discrimination (e.g., Title IX), investigations into accusations of sexual abuse, and the sharing of information about on-campus crimes. Under her tenure, the graduate school began offering M.A. L.A. council President Nury Martinez faces pressure to resign after racist remarks in leaked audio. A recent blog, which contains misleading information and serious inaccuracies, was posted about Christendom College. And victims have the right to be taken seriously, to not be dismissed. Its also a great way to smear the innocent and destroy reputations or get legally sued into bankruptcy. What parent would not yank their child from that situation immediately? [2] It still occupies this site today. Which most of us dont want to read. I am grateful to each woman who has come forward with her story. The only thing that will stop him is a clear splash of water in the face, a no different that all the others, or getting out of the car and running away. An RA friend, Elizabeth Foeckler, also encouraged her to go to the administration. She remembers standing outside the car, smoking a cigarette and shaking, and her boyfriend saying he didnt know why she was making such a big deal out of it. What drives couples off campus is the desire to do things that are prohibited on campus. When the things that are prohibited include normal and moral activities, then there is something wrong with them. This is a good thing. Are you saying that because Christendom isnt under governmental control this happened? Sure, they could get threatened by the student with a lawsuit, but accusations of rape could then be brought up in court, and such accusations are much easier to prove in a civil suit, so there would be protection for the college. Describe the current environment at the school with phrases like, But current students and alumni say the school has a boys will be boys attitude which allows the male students to harass and grab at the women. Even if you have no evidence that men can grab at women without repercussions, that doesnt matter. When was the last time you heard of a lie or series of lies a journalist told being prosecuted? And certainty this is a universal problem, but Christendom was the first place I ever had to sit at a desk and be talked about in terms like less rational,secondary and obedient. The molestation permanently altered the course of my life, most of all because I thought it was my fault, because coercion and sexual violation was always portrayed as something that happened from creepy men to women, and my experience didnt fit that template. Start your day off right, with a Dayspring Coffee That comment So goes the other way. It doesnt make sense to me. You spoke to the parents of the graduating students gathered there of the profound sense of responsibility you felt of acting in loco parentis for our children and your gratitude that we, as their parents, had entrusted our children to you . There was that one charismatic guy who transformed everything into spiritual warfare. LEARN MORE. I am so sorry for this woman, rape is a horrible crime on so many levels, maybe one of the worst aspects is the lack prosecution. Christendom doesnt have anything like that. The college now employs more than 40 full-time faculty members,[16] compared to the original five, along with a number of adjunct members. It is also about how Christendom needs to have safe, open, visible places on campus for men and women to interact. Smith thinks he might have been trying to make it appear that she was the one who assaulted him. She told her friends, He had sex with me, and I didnt want to.. Not as well as I would have liked, but it was punished. I understand it is difficult to do so, but if justice is to be served publicly, accusations must be made in public. For me, I recoil when I think of the frankly horrible things I used to say and believe, especially to LGBTQ+ people. we have reports that indicate that you have violated the Code of Student Conduct by harassing another student and causing emotional harm. It wouldnt quite be in keeping with her recent essay about letting go of anger. It was only people in my freshman class greener than I was who were willing to lend any support. That was not how my parents were, but sex assault is unique crime. Bear in mind I never heard of anybody calling security if they were at a party in South Bend that got out of handbut I didnt run in very party-like circles. The school promised to conduct a complete and careful investigation.. Gary Althen, the editor of the campus paper, refused to apologize for running the article, writing an editorial in which he explained that he himself "hated his country, and had learned to hate it at the University of Colorado.". The idea is that if you dont have make out places, youll get rape places. In my head I thought he was able to walk away does he really love me? We women all love being loved, and physical intimacy is such a natural sign of love and acceptance. Assuming the research you have done here is all reported accurately (which the college disputes), it doesnt exactly make the place a hot-bed of sexual assaults and sexual harassment issues. I feel challenged, respected, and loved by my teachers and am so grateful to be their student. [14] The school has also broken enrollment goals and records numerous years in a row, defying declining higher education enrollment trends across the United States. If she feels so strongly about it now and is willing to come out publicly and smear the College, bring him forward as well. I think both sexes can rise to a greater standard. states that have laws saying Dont rape people. If theyre allowed to kiss in a common area, then if the guy says come up to my room, shes going to say no, because theres nothing she could do in his room that she cant in the common area, except stuff she doesnt want to do. In 1992, Dr. Timothy O'Donnell, who had been a professor at Christendom since 1985, was named as the college's third president. Is it possible that they could get it wrong? Rather, the incident apparently occurred in a national park several miles away from Christendoms campus, ODonnell wrote in his letter to Scott Smith. The point has also been made if a guy really is a rapist, do you think he would settle for PDA on campus anyway? While the classes and Catholic culture are unique, the college administration struggles with some modernization of the buildings . Heroic. But I dont think we can fully judge any of these stories without hearing the other side. You may not have read porn, but what you wrote is beyond appropriate. Rapists should be burnt at the stake, but going on a witch-hunt for rape culture does not help. The article makes the following claim without proof or attribution, and it has been contended with by several students, But current students and alumni say the school has a boys will be boys attitude which allows the male students to harass and grab at the women. No more specifics are given, but the implication is that men are allowed to grab womens arses, etc., without repercussion even to their reputations. It is sad, and I think a lot of us wayward ones may have a hard time reconciling the fond memories with our current disdain for the Church. Karl Petrick Assistant Director of Advancement Services Protected: Podcast 23: Look at that s car go! Question: are the writers christendom 2020 and sophomore girl at Christendom the same girl/ writer? the letters read to indicate the same writer. This way of thinking is part of the problem and how dare you try and equate her rape with a cheap romance novel script. Lol, they arent bound by such conventions! For what its worth, I believe Adeles story, and as someone who has been sexually assaulted (but not raped) and not gone to the authorities, I understand why she didnt at first. And what possible jurisdiction would the college have for activity that did not take place on its property? Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Part I", "FAQs | Sexual Misconduct | Christendom College", "As alumni claim sexual assault is mishandled, Christendom College vows to improve", "Christendom College alumni call for Title IX response to sexual assaults", "Christendom College 'Professor Emeritus' arrested on child sex abuse charges", "Former Christendom College professor arrested on charges of soliciting a child", "Statement Regarding Former Professor Dr. William Luckey", "Former Christendom professor charged with taking indecent liberties with child", "Former Christendom College professor avoids trial, pleads to lesser charges", "Christendom College Claims NSCRO 7s Title", "Christendom rugby wins school's first national championship | News, Sports, Jobs - The Northern Virginia Daily", "Christendom College Wins College Rugby National Championship", "Christendom Earns #1 Ranking from National Collegiate Rugby", "Christendom Rugby Earns #1 National Ranking for Second Straight Year", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christendom_College&oldid=1125876208, This page was last edited on 6 December 2022, at 09:55. Never tell a rape or assault victim that consent is nebulous. I didnt feel like the article clearly painted a picture of how she was personally treated poorly. https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/at-the-edge/2015/11/18/rape-on-college-campuses-nearly-1-in-6-freshmen-women-are-assaulted. Where would be a better Catholic college to send your daughter, Simcha? We trusted each other and believed ourselves to be a self-selecting group of the Good Guys. I believe Adeles story 100%. Returning later, I was surprised how much more town there was than I was familiar with. No means no. Im giving Simcha the benefit of the doubt and assuming she had good will in this reporting. Why? i am beginning to wonder if it really exists or is just a figment of a perverted imagination. After Adele did slap you, you allegedly said, If you slapped me really hard and it really hurt, I wouldnt want to kiss you. It is further alleged that on other occasions you went out of your way to volunteer with groups of friends that Adele had seduced you. But you dont know more than that. It is also questionable whether colleges and universities are equipped to handle such investigations internally. [39] Its flexible and accommodating studies allows students of all ages and from all over the world to attend either part-time or full-time, year-round, summers-only, or winters-only, and also to study at a distance through online courses. Please post in r/excatholicDebate for further discussion, Press J to jump to the feed. Not because they are animals, but because our culture is hyper-sexualized in a way that has been hitherto unseen. What did happen on campus was punished. If he was accused again in the future, the record would help support that accusation. They had a legal responsibility to investigate throughly, and a moral responsibility to respond appropriately, which they did not do. They have a right to speak about the crimes committed against them. She implored [her brother] Peter to continue to live in Front Royal and to visit the campus often because she felt so unsafe., Scott Smith states in his letter that he left messages for nearly a week before he was able to arrange to speak to the dean, and that the telephone conference was disquieting.. This subreddit is for any and all ex-Catholics to talk, educate, discuss and maybe even bitch about their experiences within the Catholic Church. When I approached President ODonnel about it, I was stone-walled. In one way, Im glad I have this information. It only works with Weinstein and Cosby because there were like 30+ allegations. The school restraining order, if properly enforced(which I suppose to the authors credit, could very rationally be called into question), should at least be acknowledged as an attempt to guarantee her safety. From its founding, Christendom College has rejected federal funding. Everyone knew., Smith complained to the school, and she says they gave Marshner a slap on the wrist.. Former professor and Professor Emeritus William Raymond Luckey was arrested on June 25, 2021 on charges of solicitation of a minor younger than 16 years old and two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child. It felt like a never ending guilt trip. Today a new wave of aggressive secularism is attempting to sweep away the roots and reasons for your faith. All it did was push people into secret places where chastity was more in danger. Just like all men who overpower women should, personally Id like to know if he grew up in a Novus Ordo mass if we are going to start taking these types of potshots.and if his parents did too.. I just dont think they could afford it. The way I see it, and many may disagree with this, but the failure was not a moral failure, but an administerial one(if that).. That takes a lot of strength to write to them like that. Are you a woman (or AFAB)? Christendom teaches its students to group date first. I propose for your consideration numerous scenarios of young women and men wherein even if the woman is saying no with her voice, her body language is communicating something entirely different. Im glad you ran this story, and I hope it will help schools be more accountable. By whose definition are they adults? Adele has no bad girl reputation on campus. It sounds from the way the witnesses say he behaved that this guy probably is a sociopath and I believe probably did rape her. While not commenting on this particular scenario, it got me musing (once again) on the whole problem of sexual assault and the current #metoo movement. Thats pretty horrific behavior in Catholic men at a Catholic institution. That is not the case at all with rape. The article linked directly to the current handbook.. Real piece of work. Protected: Podcast 51: the Grift of the Magi, Protected: Podcast #50: The Five Stages of Revenge, Podcast 49: Not trying to hurry you (FREE PODCAST! What exactly did you expect to happen, or could have happened? I say, if you rape off campus, when you come back to campus, youre still a rapist.. Seriously how is this possible? From day one, the men of this campus are filled with a joy in being a gentleman to every girl. Especially, never talk about the training RAs have undergone and all the other things the university has done to improve their support of women in rape cases. Accustomed to a large, sociable, extended family, she knew Christendom would be conservative, but was bemused by the strict segregation of males and females. I think rape should be a clearly defined and promulgated capital crime so there would be fewer instances and false allegations. Adele Smith, in the article above, expected to perpetrator to be expelled based on her narrative that she presented. Contact Leslie Mathews by email at lmathews@christendom.edu or by phone by calling 540.551.9300. [36] He has had no interaction with the school since 2015, the college said in an interview with the Northern Virginia Daily, adding that Luckeys relationship with the school would not continue. http://mydailydiatribes.blogspot.com/2017/12/metoo.html?m=1. You might think to yourself, as Miss Smith did for example, Is this really happening? with 50% terror and 50% thrill. You are taking down the good name of a college because two students left campus in a car and a rape occurred. I was raised in a conservative evangelical household and converted to Catholicism my junior year. In 2021[46] and 2022,[47] the men's rugby team also received the #1 national ranking from National Collegiate Rugby. It seems to me that thats why they hit him with that. What are men doing to step up their game for women? It is endorsed by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College and has been characterized as a conservative Catholic liberal arts college. You described an inability or unwillingness to use your words to say, this is hard, but Im saying no! On one hand, you bring to mind memories of a pleasant campus full of greenery, of friendly PG-rated friends and conversations, of sitting in the common room on my laptop, of feeling like all was right with the world inside your little bubble. The curriculum consists of three years of study in Theology, three years in Philosophy, two years in English Language and Literature, two years in Classical or Modern Language, two years in History, one year in Political Science and Economics, one year in Mathematics and Natural Science, and 4 years of Education for Life career preparation coursework. Students are prohibited from doing something reasonable on campus. The student handbook now includes a sexual assault policy. Lately, I've started "coming out" as an agnostic to most of my friends from there. Even if an investigation were not able to definitely prove the guilt of the accused, if the college authorities were to make a prudential judgement that the accuser was guilty or, at the very least, was a potential safety threat, they could have expelled him (with a full refund) without giving any reason or giving a generic reason . There are more than a few other academic institutions whose rates of rape and sexual assault are much higher and/or go under-reported. They say your views are dangerous, hateful, fearful, or racist . This is a favored tactic of shoddy journalists who want to do a hit piece, and the Fishers followed the recipe quite well. i believe that the world outside of CC understands that sexual assault has many./.. an infinite number of manifestations. A complete careful investigation, in their own words. I am incensed by the way Simcha makes it sound like Dr. Marshner condoned and sheltered a known rapist, and then was fired from the school. The College is actually small enough, and physically remote from the built-up town center, that it is more ignored than anything. Not the most helpful thing, Mrs. Fischer. The cultural revolution of the twentieth century continues to take its toll on the world and on Catholic higher education. [in loco parentis] is not a phrase that I use with any frequency, ODonnell wrote toward the end of his letter to Scott Smith. If you admit to being a feminist, well, you might as well admit to worshipping Baal. 50% thrill?!!! i left the Catholic Church a couple years later and now have a useless Theology degree (imagine what I could have spent the money on instead xD) but at least im happy and living my life freely! This is still America. [12], The college's Junior Semester in Rome program was established in 2002. Can we PLEASE stop framing this as something between women and men and acknowledge that assault and coercion also happen between men and between women, as well as from women to men? However, then the college has to be careful not to be encouraging a back seat car scenario in their recreation rooms. I am so sad you had to live through that. She said, Im not comfortable with that, and he said, Okay.. I could leave my laptop lying out anywhere on campus, with no password, and be confident I could come back and find it un-stolen. Christendom College is a Catholic liberal arts college in Front Royal, Virginia, United States, located in the Shenandoah Valley. Not even subtle, in my experience. But what jumps out at me is that this happened not because of following the colleges policies, but because of disregarding them. It has nothing to do with thinking that drinking is worse than sexual assault. Amanda Graf, the current Director of Student Affairs at Christendom, confirms that student handbook did not include a policy against sexual assault until 2013, two years after Smith reported her rape. I was struggling with my sexuality and trying to flee from the fact that I was gay and ended up doing so by going to grad school at the Dominican House of Studies in DC while I discerned joining the OP as a novice. ' into the handbook. Whose testimony is more consistent and believable? Notify me of follow-up comments by email. There was no mention of her accusation of rape, either in the charge letter or in the sanction letter. PDA rules that no longer exist, criticizing faculty that no longer are there? Most of the responses have been supportive. I still have fond memories of a bunch of them. How come more worldly girls get raped too?Even from your writing it seems that Christendom did stand up from inside when Miss Smith felt comfortable telling her Theology! I didnt say they should immediately assume hes a rapist, call him a rapist, and publicly expel him as a rapist. [40], Christendom has several varsity sports, and has a variety of intramural sports throughout the year. Not everyone can be brought to justice so easily, but if you make no effort to even recognize an issue as an institution then that can become something serious. Are you saying that campus security police are supposed to be policing the town? Simcha you must not be very up on your news, because from what I have been reading in the news of the secular world, it seems that these types of crimes sometimes take twenty years to detangle.Why mention Title IX?? Not a rapist. I would go to the only cafe in town, and hed be sitting outside. I eventually burned out on the whole experience around senior year, though it took me until after I graduated to actually question the foundations of the faith I'd spent the last four years pounding into my head (and even longer to finally LEAVE it, but that's another story). Oh ladies, Im so sorry you had to deal with that attitude for any length of time. More concern for an institution than for victims. I vehemently disagreed with their misogyny, but never was sexually harassed, assaulted, etc. People were mostly really nice, and there was this kind of lovely cocoon of ideological sameness that I'd never experienced before.

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